Urgent appointments
You can request an urgent appointment for today or tomorrow (Monday to Friday) during opening times.
We will respond to requests within 1 working day.
You can also:
- phone us on Old Mill Surgery, Poringland 01508 492929 or Millgates Surgery, Hempnall 01508 499333
When you get in touch, we’ll ask what you need help with.
We will use your answers to choose the most suitable doctor, nurse or healthcare professional to help you.
Routine appointments
To request a routine appointment in advance during opening times:
- phone us on Old Mill Surgery, Poringland 01508 492929 or Millgates Surgery, Hempnall 01508 499333
- use your NHS account (through the NHS website or NHS App) or SystmOnline to book an appointment, screening test or vaccination
- use our nurse or healthcare assistant appointment request form and we will respond within 1 working day
- visit the practice
When you get in touch, we’ll ask what you need help with.
We will use your answers to choose the most suitable doctor, nurse or healthcare professional to help you.
Nurse practitioner
Pre-booked and book on the day appointments available for both the mornings and the afternoons.
Please remember the nurse practitioner is qualified to see almost all types of illnesses, and has the back up of the duty doctor throughout the day for advice if she should need it.
Although nurse practitioners are not allowed to write certificates, if she feels a certificate is required she will ask the duty GP to write one for you.
GP mornings
A GP, not necessarily the same one each week, will be available to do a limited open system from 8:30am at both sites each morning. Once these appointments are taken you will be offered the following:
- An appointment in the open system at an alternative site if there are any available
- An appointment with the nurse practitioner if available
- An appointment with a paramedic if available
- A routine appointment with a GP at a later date
- If none of these options are suitable, you will be advised to ring the following morning, but there is a risk that the open surgery is full again during busy periods
- Always tell the receptionist if your problem is medically urgent, they can seek the advice of a GP
GP afternoons
These are all pre-booked appointments, but they can be booked up to six weeks in advance.
If you have a problem which cannot wait until the following morning, you will be offered an appointment with the nurse practitioner if she is available. Please tell the receptionist if your problem is medically urgent, if an appointment is not available they can seek the advice of a GP.
Phone lines
These are particularly busy first thing in the morning. Please keep holding, the receptionists will be working as fast as possible to respond.
Enhanced Access Appointments
These sessions are held on an alternating Tuesday and Thursday’s at Old Mill surgery with a GP, Nurse or Paramedic. Please tell the receptionist if you particularly need an appointment after 6pm.
The practice along with other surgeries in our locality provide additional and improved access for our patients. Please ask one of our reception team to utilise one of these appointments.
Cancelling or changing an appointment
To cancel your appointment:
- use your NHS account (through the NHS website or NHS App)
- use the GP online system: SystmOnline
- phone us on Old Mill Surgery, Poringland 01508 492929 or Millgates Surgery, Hempnall 01508 499333 during opening times
If you need help when we are closed
If you need medical help now, use NHS 111 online or call 111.
NHS 111 online is for people aged 5 and over. Call 111 if you need help for a child under 5.
Call 999 in a medical or mental health emergency. This is when someone is seriously ill or injured and their life is at risk.
If you need help with your appointment
Please tell us:
- if there’s a specific doctor, nurse or other health professional you would prefer to respond
- if you would prefer to consult with the doctor or nurse by phone, face-to-face, by video call or by text or email
- if you need an interpreter
- if you have any other access or communication needs
Home visits
Whilst we encourage our patients to come to the surgery, where we have the proper equipment and facilities available, we do appreciate this is not always possible. In this respect, if you do need a home visit, you can help us by phoning reception before 11am.
You may only request a home visit if you are housebound or are too ill to visit the Practice. Your GP will only visit you at home if they think that your medical condition requires it and will also decide how urgently a visit is needed. Please bear this in mind, and be prepared to provide suitable details to enable the doctor to schedule house calls.
You can also be visited at home by a community nurse if you are referred by your GP. You should also be visited at home by a health visitor if you have recently had a baby, or if you are newly registered with a GP and have a child under five years.